Unitary gas turbine and regenerator



19'57 .u. c. VICKLAND UNITARY GAS TURBINE AND REGENERATOR Filed Dec. 30, 1954 SQ RN 3 mm 11. g MM 1 n m E? 8 .1 8 Q wit INVENTOR JOHN C. VICKLHND A ATTORNEY United States Patent UNITARY GAS TURBINE AND REGENERATOR John C. Vickland, Wellsville, N. Y., assignor to The Air Preheater Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 30, 1954, Serial No. 478,845 6 Claims. (Cl. 60-39.51)

This invention relates generally to a gas turbine power plant, and particularly to a compact arrangement for a gas turbine power plant which is especially adapted for operation in confined areas as is desirable, for example, in locomotive or marine application.

An object of this invention is to provide cooperating gas turbine, compressor and heat exchanger elements as an integral unit occupying a minimum of space.

It is another object of this invention to provide improved gas turbine and compressor units having a unique blading arrangement which imparts a minimum axial thrust to the turbine and air compressor rotor.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide an integrated turbine and compressor combination having a single rotor supported on bearings located in a low temperature zone not subject to the deleterious effects of high temperature operation.

These and other objects will become apparent upon consideration of the following description and claims when read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which the single figure is a schematic side elevation of a gas turbine power plant constructed in accordance with the invention.

The drawing diagrammatically represents combined compressor, turbine and heat exchanger units constructed within a generally cylindrical body shell 16. The turbine 14 and axial flow air compressor 18 are built up on a single hollow rotor shaft 27 which has trunnions 22 supported outwardly by support bearings 26 and which is surrounded by a concentrically arranged heat exchanger 50. The bearings 26 are in turn mounted on support columns 28 which are fixed to a bed plate 30 or other primary support structure. Since there is substantially no axial thrust resulting from turbine and compressor operation, the columns may be simple columns designed only to support the bearings 26 in axial alignment. The body shell lid is supported independently of the rotor shaft 27 on means such as is illustrated at 32 and 34 which permits the shaft to rotate freely about its own axis without interference from the surrounding structure. A coupling means 25 permits utilization of power developed within the turbine at any point of usage, this not being material to this invention.

The rotor shaft 27 essentially comprises a hollow cylindrical member having inlet ports 36 arranged in an end portion 23 through which air may enter the chamber 35 within the shaft. Air entering the chamber moves axially until in alignment with the circumferentially positioned ports 38 through which it is drawn by the suction of compressor 18 and discharged through compressor blades 428 into header 44*. Air entering inlet 37 at the left end of shaft 27 passe directly through a series of blades 42A into the same header 44 as does air compressed through blades 423 since blades 42A and 42B are oppositely inclined. Compressed air from header 44 is passed through a regenerator or heat exchanger 50 to a circular header 51 to the gas turbine 14, whereupon expanding they turn the rotor about its axis after which they are 2,784,552 Patented Mar. 12, 1957 directed back through the heat exchanger 50 in heat exchange relation with combustion air. After giving up heat to the incoming air the cooled exhaust gases are expelled to the atmosphere through an outlet port 58 in the outer body shell 1i Turbine 14 comprises two evenly divided sections of oppositely inclined blading 46A and 4613 located at opposite sides of the gas inlet 15. Gases entering the turbine from inlet 15 are expanded through both sections 46A and 468 to outlets 17A and 17B respectively where they are redirected through the gas side ofheat exchanger 50 to the flue gas outlet 58.

Axially spaced from the. ports 38 are a series 'of circumferentially spaced ports 39 which permit a quantity of air to be supplied to the inlet of a compressor 41. After being slightly compressed in the compressor, cool air is directed into outlet 17A where it is mixed with the exhaust gases to provide a tempering effect thereon. Ports 43 in the right hand end wall member 45 of shaft 27 permit air to flow from chamber 35' to the blades 47 where the centrifugal force of the rotating blades adds an additional amount of slightly compressed tempering air to the hot gas outlet at 1713.

Concentrically positioned around the shaft 27 is a housing 61 forming a chamber 46 through which compressed air and the hot exhaust gases are expelled into the heat exchanger 50. Concentrically positioned around the housing 61 and spaced therefrom is a second housing 63 providing an intermediate space 57 filled with a thermal insulating material which tends to isolate the high temperature of the gas withinthe regenerator and maintain the inlet air at a relatively low temperature.

An expansion joint 62 extending around the body shell it permits axial expansion of the shell without misalignment of the support bearings 26.

In operation inlet air enters ports 37 and flows directly through the blading 42A where it is: compressed and passed to outlet header 44. A quantity of compressed air is also supplied to header 44 from blading section 4213 whose ports 38 are supplied air from inlet 36. Compressed air is fed from header 44 through heat exchanger 5i? where it absorbs heat from hot exhaust gases before passing to the combustor 52 where it supports combustion of fuel supplied through a nozzle 54. After ignition the hot gaseous products of combustion are fed to the turbine inlet 15 from which they are divided to pass through oppositely directed turbine sections 46A and 463 where on expanding they do the work required to rotate the rotor about its axis. As the rotor turns, the axial cornpressor 41 and the centrifugal compressor 47 draw a small quantity of air from [chamber 35 and move it against the slightly elevated pressures of the turbine exhaust into the chambers 17A and 17B. The cooler compressed air reduces the temperature of the turbine exhaust before passing it into the gas passageway of heat exchanger 50. After transmitting a large portion of its heat to the incoming air in heat exchanger 50, the cooled gas is exhausted to the flue gas outlet 58.

Any propulsive effect which is ordinarily derived from an exhaust jet issuing from the turbine is effectively neutralized by a similar exhaust jet issuing from the oppositely directed section of the turbine assembly. Furthermore, as was previously described, the compressor section is divided into two oppositely disposed sections so that any additional tendency toward axial thrust of the rotor resulting from compressor operation will be effectively neutralized at the source of origin.

As a result of this novel arrangement of turbine and compressor blading, the net axial thrust resulting from normal operation is reduced to substantially zero, and the tendency of the turbine and compressor assembly to move axially against its bearing support means is entirely eliminated. Bearings for the device disclosed are mounted outside the rotor housing in a cool temperature zone where they are not subjected to internal heat or the corrosive effects of the hot gases.

Tempering the hot exhaust gases with cooler air in the manner disclosed provides hot gases for the heat exchanger at a temperature and pressure somewhat lower than at the turbine outlet. As a result of these reductions in temperature, the regenerator unit with its connecting duct work and housing may be constructed from low temperature alloys.

What I claim is:

1. A gas turbine power plant comprising an air compressor and a turbine assembly axially aligned around the outer periphery of a hollow rotor shaft; a housing surrounding the aligned compressor and turbine units providing an annular space through which turbine and compressor blading rotates; an outer body shell enclosing the housing and providing an intermediate space having a passageway communicating between an air outlet in the compressor housing and an inlet to a fuel combustor, said combustor exhausting to a turbine inlet port in the annular housing; means conducting exhaust gases from the turbine to an outlet port in said outer shell; and heat exchange structure interposed in said intermediate space whereby residual heat in the exhaust gases is transferred to compressed air traversing the passageway in advance of said fuel combustion apparatus.

2. A gas turbine power plant comprising an air compressor and a turbine assembly axially aligned along a hollow rotor shaft; a plurality of ports in said shaft permitting flow of air through the rotor shaft to compressor blading carried by said shaft; a housing around the aligned compressor and turbine components providing an annular space through Which compressor and turbine blading rotates with the hollow rotor shaft; an outer body shell on closing the housing and providing an intermediate space having passageways communicating between air outlets from the compressor and inlets to a fuel combustor which exhausts to inlet ports in the turbine housing; means conducting turbine exhaust gases to an outlet in said outer shell; and heat exchange structure interposed in said intermediate space whereby residual heat in the exhaust gases is transferred to compressed air traversing the passageways leading to said fuel combustion apparatus.

3. A gas turbine power plant comprising an air compressor and a gas turbine axially aligned around the outer periphery of a hollow rotor shaft; blading elements for said compressor divided into first and second oppositely directed sections having inlet ports at opposite ends and a common outlet header midway between inlet ends thereof; a plurality of openings in the shaft permitting the flow of air through said shaft to an inlet end of said first compressor section; a housing surrounding the aligned compressor and turbine components providing an annular space through which compressor and turbine blading rotates; entrance openings into said annular space providing ingress for air to the second compressor section; an outer body shell enclosing the housing and providing an intermediate space having passageways linking the air outlet header and inlet ports to a fuel combustor said combustor exhausting to inlet ports in the turbine housing; other passageways providing means conducting turbine exhaust gases to an outlet port in said outer shell; and heat exchange apparatus interposed in said intermediate space whereby residual heat in the exhaust gases is transferred to compressed air traversing the passageways in advance of said fuel combustion apparatus.

4. A gas turbine power plant comprising an air compressor and a gas turbine axially aligned around the outer periphery of a hollow rotor shaft; blading elements for said compressor divided into first and second oppositely inclined sections having a common outlet header midway between inlet ports; a housing around the aligned compressor and turbine units providing an annular space through which compressor and turbine blading rotates; an outer body shell enclosing the housing and providing an intermediate space containing passageways providing communication between the air outlet header from the compressor and inlet ports to fuel combustion apparatus; blading elements for said turbine divided into first and second oppositely inclined sections having a common inlet header midway between axially aligned outlet ports; means establishing communication between the fuel combustion apparatus and the turbine inlet header whereby a portion of the gaseous products of combustion conducted to the common inlet header may expand axially through the first section of turbine blading in one direction and another portion may expand through the second section of turbine blading in an axially opposite direction.

5. A gas turbine power plant as defined in claim 4 having secondary compressor blading on the hollow rotor shaft intermediate the first named compressor and turbine end of the gas turbine; outlet ports from said secondary compressor in communication with exhaust ports from said turbine whereby compressed air from said secondary compressor is introduced into the exhaust gases from the turbine.

6. A gas turbine power plant as defined in claim 4 wherein compressor elements adjacent axially spaced outlet ports of the gas turbine provide a quantity of tem pering air to the hot turbine exhaust gases.

No references cited. 

